Creating visually appealing online courses is a must. After all, a lot of learners today are stimulated by great aesthetics. If you can present them with a great looking online course, you are one step ahead in keeping their interest glued to what is being taught. It will be easier for you to keep them focused on what they have to learn from the material.
While the importance of a great visual element for elearning courses is understood, not everyone is equipped with the talent to implement it. But despite that, it does not mean it is impossible to create a visually appealing course. Even non-designers can produce great visuals for online courses – just like those who are not tech-savvy can create websites. All it takes is some determination, a clear idea of your objectives and the willingness to learn and practice designing skills.
Here are a couple of tips that non-designers can use while they are creating visually appealing courses.
- Look for inspiration. All of the best art forms start with an inspiration. The greatest of designers use this as their take off point in creating masterpieces. This can happen anytime and anywhere. But if you need an inspiration now, you can simply search for it online and see what other designers have done. For instance, you can search for visual inspiration for a math tutorial and you can see what others have done before you. While you will not copy what they did, their work will give you an idea about how you can present your own course in a unique way. You can also find inspiration even as you do the most basic of tasks like walking your dog, eating in a restaurant or even flipping through a magazine. Make sure you are ready with a notepad in case an inspiration strikes.
- Understand the concept of texture. This may seem out of place since the learning will happen on the screen. However, this concept is simply referring to the layers of the page that will be presented. Naturally, you will have a lot of elements on one page – the text, images, colors and various shapes. Which of these do you want to stand out? This is where the concept of texture will come into play. To put things simply – make sure to highlight what you want the learners to notice first so they will naturally zoom into that portion after the page is uploaded on the screen.
- Use fonts wisely. Some people fail to realize the importance of choosing the right font. This element alone can help achieve the depth that you need to create texture in your online courses. Believe it or not, the font that you choose can affect the tone of your words. It also adds to the visual appeal of the course.
- Study the basics of color psychology. You do not have to master it, but you do need the basic knowledge about how to use color to your advantage. It can affect the mood of your learners as they look at the screen. It is also helpful as you choose the colors that you will use in one page. Make sure they blend well and only use contrasting colors when it is necessary.
- Do not be afraid to use whitespaces. These are literally, spaces on the screen that do not have any information on them. Try not to crowd every page with images, texts or graphics. Too much clutter can become an eyesore and can distract learners from what they should be focusing on. If you are after elegance or sophistication in your online courses, then use whitespaces well.
If you are admitting that designing is not your forte, then it is only expected that you try to learn techniques that can compensate for your lack of knowledge or experience. Feel free to subject yourself to online courses about designing basics. It will really help improve your ability to create effective courses in the future.
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